Fall 2023 DULUTH MBWednesdays Summary

(September  20  -  October 4  -  October 18  -  October 25)


We eventually completed four Duluth-based MBWednesdays this fall, and (to put it kindly) I suppose it’s fair to say we had mixed success. We managed to compile a composite list of 94 species for these MBWs, which was nearly the same as the 97 on the fall 2022 MBWednesdays – although note there were only three MBWs then contributing to this total. Note as well that the individual species totals in 2022 were 55, 63, and 56 (an average of 58), while this year we could only manage totals of 40, 57, 36, and 50 species (for a disappointing average of 46).


Here are the species totals and weather for each of this fall’s MBWednesdays:     


• MBW I on Sept. 20 = 40 species

  weather = high 73, clear, light E winds


• MBW II on Oct. 4 = 57 species (with 19 of these not seen on any of the other MBWs)

  weather = mid 60s, partly cloudy w/some rain, moderate WSW winds


• MBW III on Oct. 18 = 36 species

  weather = low 50s, cloudy w/ some rain, moderate E winds


• MBW IV on Oct. 25 =  50 sp (incl. 17 of these not seen on the other MBWs)

  weather = low 50s, cloudy, light E winds


Unfortunately, these four MBW days were consistent overall with the rest of this fall in Duluth & the North Shore: i.e., generally warm with prevailing east winds (hardly any days with a westerly and more favorable component), and almost no cold fronts to stir up the migration. Indeed, the birding has generally been about as dull as it ever gets here in the fall, with very few rarities discovered (almost no Casuals/Accidentals), and low numbers for most of the more regular migrants.


On the positive side, though, there were several interesting highlights:

• 4 Ross’s Geese in Two Harbors (on MBWednesdays III & IV);

• Surf and Black Scoters (MBW I in Duluth and MBW III at Stony Point, respectively);

• Long-tailed Ducks in both Two Harbors & Duluth (MBW IV);

• Red-throated Loon (MBW IV, though it flew off just after being spotted out from the Lester River);

• a decent raptor flight with 9 species (MBW II; our only MBWednesday with non-east winds);

• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (!) and a Black-billed Magpie (new for my Lake county list), both on MBW IV;

• and 2 very late Gray-cheeked Thrushes in Two Harbors (MBW III).



Bird List


• I = seen on Sept 20 MBWednesday I

• II = seen on Oct 4 MBWednesday II

• III = seen on Oct 18 MBWednesday III

• IV = seen on Oct 25 MBWednesday IV


Ross’s Goose          III, IV

Cackling Goose          IV

Canada Goose          I, II, III, IV

Northern Shoveler          II

Mallard          I, II, III, IV

American Black Duck          I, IV

Green-winged Teal          IV

Redhead          I, II, IV

Ring-necked Duck          IV

Greater Scaup          II, IV

Lesser Scaup          II, IV

Surf Scoter          I

Black Scoter          III

Long-tailed Duck          IV

Common Goldeneye          IV

Hooded Merganser          I, III, IV

Common Merganser          I, II, III, IV

Red-breasted Merganser          IV


Horned Grebe          IV

Red-necked Grebe          IV


Rock Pigeon          I, II, III, IV

Mourning Dove          I, II, III, IV


Sanderling          I

Wilson’s Snipe          IV


Ring-billed Gull          I, II, III, IV

Herring Gull          I, III, IV


Red-throated Loon          IV

Common Loon          III, IV


Double-crested Cormorant          I, II


Osprey          II


Northern Harrier          II

Sharp-shinned Hawk          II

Bald Eagle          II, III, IV

Broad-winged Hawk          II

Red-tailed Hawk          II

raptor, sp.          III


Belted Kingfisher          I, II, IV


Red-bellied Woodpecker          II

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker          II

Downy Woodpecker          I, II, III, IV

Hairy Woodpecker          II, IV

Northern Flicker          I, II, III


American Kestrel          I, II

Merlin          I, II, IV

Peregrine Falcon          II


Least Flycatcher          I

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher          IV


Blue-headed Vireo          II


Northern Shrike          III, IV


Blue Jay          I, II, III, IV

Black-billed Magpie          IV

American Crow          I, II, III, IV

Common Raven          I, II, III, IV


Black-capped Chickadee          I, II, III, IV


Horned Lark          I, II, III, IV


Barn Swallow          II


Ruby-crowned Kinglet          I, II

Golden-crowned Kinglet          II, III


Cedar Waxwing          I


Red-breasted Nuthatch          I, II, III

White-breasted Nuthatch          I, II, III


Brown Creeper          II


Gray Catbird          II


European Starling          I, II, III, IV


Eastern Bluebird          IV

Gray-cheeked Thrush          III

Swainson’s Thrush          I, II

Hermit Thrush          II

American Robin          I, II, III, IV


House Sparrow          III, IV


American Pipit          II


Purple Finch          II

Common Redpoll          IV

Pine Siskin          IV

American Goldfinch          I, IV


Lapland Longspur          III

Snow Bunting          IV


Chipping Sparrow          I

Fox Sparrow          III

American Tree Sparrow          III, IV

Dark-eyed Junco          II, III, IV

White-crowned Sparrow          I, II, III

White-throated Sparrow          I, II, III

Savannah Sparrow          I

Song Sparrow          II, IV

Swamp Sparrow          III


Red-winged Blackbird          II, IV

Rusty Blackbird          IV

Common Grackle          II


Tennessee Warbler          II

Orange-crowned Warbler          II

Nashville Warbler          I, II

Palm Warbler          I, II

Yellow-rumped Warbler          I, II, IIII


Scarlet Tanager



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FALL 2022 DULUTH MBWEDNESDAYS SUMMARY



Composite Species List (97 species)


Snow Goose

Ross’s Goose

Cackling Goose

Canada Goose

Trumpeter Swan

Mallard

American Black Duck

Redhead

Greater Scaup

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser


Ruffed Grouse


Red-necked Grebe


Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove


Ruby-throated Hummingbird


Killdeer


Pectoral Sandpiper

Long-billed Dowitcher


Bonaparte’s Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull


Common Loon


Double-crested Cormorant


American White Pelican


Turkey Vulture


Golden Eagle

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk


Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker


American Kestrel

Merlin

Peregrine Falcon


Eastern Phoebe


Yellow-throated Vireo


Blue Jay

American Crow

Common Raven


Black-capped Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee


Horned Lark


Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet


Cedar Waxwing


Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch


Brown Creeper


House Wren


Gray Catbird


European Starling


Eastern Bluebird

Townsend’s Solitaire

Swainson’s Thrush

Hermit Thrush

American Robin


American Pipit


Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch


Lapland Longspur

Snow Bunting


Fox Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

White-crowned Sparrow

Harris’s Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow


Red-winged Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird


Ovenbird

Tennessee Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

American Redstart

Cape May Warbler

Palm Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler


Summer Tanager

Indigo Bunting


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[ Duluth MBW I – September 14 – canceled due to Covid ]


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Duluth MBWednesday II – September 28, 2022


BIRD LIST (55 species)


Canada Goose

Mallard

American Black Duck (unexpected group of 12 at Park Point)

Redhead

Greater Scaup

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Ruffed Grouse

Rock Pigeon

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (later than normal)

Bonaparte’s Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

American White Pelican

Turkey Vulture

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel

Eastern Phoebe

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Horned Lark

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Cedar Waxwing

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

House Wren (also later than normal)

Gray Catbird

European Starling

American Robin

American Pipit

American Goldfinch

Lapland Longspur

Fox Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

White-crowned Sparrow

Harris’s Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Tennessee Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Cape May Warbler (nice looks at Stony Point)

Palm Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler


WEATHER


Clear, cool, calm, and about as pleasant as it gets in Duluth in late September! The light & variable winds were not conducive to migration, but we found birds (especially Yellow-rumped Warblers) at almost every stop.


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Duluth MBWednesday III – October 5, 2022


BIRD LIST (63 species)


• S = St. Louis County only

• L = Lake County only

• species not annotated S or L = seen in both counties


Snow Goose          L (juv blue-morph)

Ross’s Goose          L (juv; could easily be a hybrid)

Cackling Goose          L

Canada Goose

Surf Scoter          L (3 fly-bys at Lighthouse Pt)

Red-breasted Merganser          L

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Killdeer

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Common Loon

Turkey Vulture          L

Northern Harrier          L

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Bald Eagle

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel          S

Merlin

Yellow-throated Vireo          S (at our secret Alseth Rd “hotspot”)

Blue Jay

American Crow

Common Raven

Black-capped Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee          S (at the secret hotspot)

Horned Lark

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Cedar Waxwing          S

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

European Starling          S

Eastern Bluebird          L

Townsend’s Solitaire          S (also at our secret spot)

Swainson’s Thrush          L

Hermit Thrush          L

American Robin

American Pipit

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Lapland Longspur          L

Dark-eyed Junco

White-crowned Sparrow

Harris’s Sparrow          S (just after we adjourned)

White-throated Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow          L

Song Sparrow

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird          L

Rusty Blackbird          S (several migrant flocks)

Ovenbird          L

Tennessee Warbler          L

Orange-crowned Warbler          L

Common Yellowthroat          L

American Redstart          S

Palm Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler (by the 100s?)

Indigo Bunting          S (guess where!)


WEATHER


Despite the nice weather (it reached 70+ degrees in the afternoon), we saw a strong movement of migrants most of the day, with birds around at almost every stop (especially Yellow-rumpeds); usually SW winds are not conducive to much migration.


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Duluth MBWednesday IV – October 19, 2022


BIRD LIST (56 species)


Snow Goose

Canada Goose

Trumpeter Swan  (lone adult unexpectedly on the lake)

Mallard

American Black Duck

Redhead

Greater Scaup

White-winged Scoter  (bayside of Park Point)

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Red-necked Grebe

Rock Pigeon

Pectoral Sandpiper

Long-billed Dowitcher  (quite unexpected with a Pectoral at Two Harbors golf course)

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Common Loon

Turkey Vulture

Golden Eagle  (adult moving with vultures over McQuade Rd)

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Peregrine Falcon  (Two Harbors ore docks)

Blue Jay

American Crow

Common Raven

Black-capped Chickadee

Horned Lark

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

European Starling

Eastern Bluebird

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

American Pipit

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

Lapland Longspur

Snow Bunting

American Tree Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

White-crowned Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Rusty Blackbird

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Summer Tanager  (mostly obscured & brief views of female at Lighthouse Point)


WEATHER


A bit too windy and cold in the morning, but sunny all day and warming into the high 40s in the afternoon. NW winds resulted in a decent showing of hawks and other migrants.  



The summary of the 2022 MBWednesdays follows the 2023 summary.


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